


Explanations

by morbid_solemn



Category: Nathaniel Cade
Genre: M/M, Zathaniel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 18:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4677590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morbid_solemn/pseuds/morbid_solemn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: I don't know if you're still accepting one-shots, but how about Zathaniel after The Presiden't Vampire with Cade fixing up Zach's injuries/dealing with his trauma after a nightmare or something?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Explanations

Zach’s apartment was cold and dark when he entered with Cade following closely behind him. Cade had tried to convince Zach to stay in the Reliquary while he bandaged his wounds, but Zach said he was tired and just wanted to go home. Cade had been adamant then, saying if Zach was going home, Cade would go with him; after all, he still needed to care for his wounds.

“Stuff’s in there.” Zach said, pointing to the bathroom lazily. While Cade stalked off to infiltrate the medicine cabinet, Zach walked gingerly to his room, careful not to move too much and disturb the painful bruises that were blooming across his body. Cade was at Zach’s side in mere minutes. He sat beside Zach, first pulling Zach’s left arm to his lap. He spoke as he cleaned the blood away from Zach’s forearm.

“That was dangerously incompetent of you, Zach.” When Zach didn’t answer, Cade continued. “Joining me after I sent you back? You could’ve died.” Zach scoffed and Cade dropped Zach’s hand to glare at him. “You could’ve died. And for what? Something I could’ve handled. You had no reason to be there.” Zach got the distinct feeling that Cade was trying to tell him that he was out of line.

“Oh yeah?” Zach countered. “Well I think I saved your ass. ‘Something you could’ve handled’, my ass.”

“I’m not the one that needs injuries taken care of, now am I?” Cade had taken Zach’s other arm now, applying a cream for the bruising. Zach noted that Cade was working with an alarmingly slow pace. 

“I didn’t ask for your help.” Zach muttered petulantly, but made no effort to pull his arm away from the vampire. 

“But you’re getting it, regardless of your consent.” Cade said. “How are the cuts on your abdomen?” 

“It’s fine.” Zach groused, pulling away from Cade and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“No it’s not.” Cade reached over, pulling Zach’s arms away from his body and pulling his shirt off.

“Whoa, Cade. Dinner and a movie first!” Zach joked. Cade grimaced at the slash. It stretched across the width of Zach’s body. It started from his hip and ran diagonally to the bottom of his ribs. Cade dabbed at the wound with antiseptic. 

“You shouldn’t have come in there to save me.” Cade said. Zach’s eyebrows shot up, amazed that Cade had admitted that.

“It was worth it.” Zach said simply looking down. 

They were quiet after that. 

***  
Cade had finished wrapping up the last of Zach’s wounds and was now getting up of the bed. Zach felt something in his throat, and he tried to reach for Cade, but something was stopping him. When Cade was out of the room, Zach could see him in the doorway. 

“No, Cade, wait.” Zach said, holding his gut as he got up. Cade was at his side in an instant, an arm around Zach sitting him back down.

“Moving will worsen your condition.” Cade said softly. When Zach’s brown eyes simply stared back at Cade’s hollow blue ones, Cade spoke again. “Is there something you need?”

“Yeah.” Zach said, and stopped, trying to find the best way to explain something he didn’t fully understand. Cade was patient, waiting for Zach to form the words. “You keep calling me stupid for what I did, but, Cade, it was no different from you saving me from that bomb last year. Or that time the Shadow Company had me. You could’ve left me there, saved yourself, and completed all those missions easily.”

“I have to take care of my liaisons, I took an oath-” Cade was cut off by a glare from Zach.

“Bullshit.” He spat. “You didn’t have to kill that Ken guy. I heard the fear in voice. And the way you grabbed me after you found me in there?” Zach’s voice was incredibly soft, and he began to think that maybe he was talking to himself. But Cade had inhuman hearing, and listened to every word. Zach’s gaze bore into Cade and for a moment Zach believed that the vampire understood what he was trying to say. That he didn’t have to explain what he was struggling to understand himself. But Cade squinted his eyes in a way to ask him to complete his thought. Zach sighed. “Cade, the way you spoke to me then.” Zach gently placed his hand over Cade’s. “I felt safe. After the hell I had just been through, I was ready to curl up and die, but then you were there, and then I wasn’t.”

“Is this leading up to something, Zach?” Cade asked, gruffly. 

“What I’m trying to say here, is that you,” Zach contemplated whether to use the word ‘obviously’ or ‘hopefully’ next. “Probably feel the same as me. About this.”

“About what?” Cade asked, desperately wanting Zach to just speak plainly.

“Look, I like you, okay?” Zach was frustrated now. His cheeks began to warm with a rosy pink hue. He didn’t want to just slap all of his cards on the table like this, but Cade had been pushing his buttons. He sighed. “I care about you. It’s why I came after you. I didn’t want you to die. I thought you had figured that out. But you hadn’t and I had to just come out and say it all because of you.” Zach finished. Cade stared at him.

“Oh.” Cade said. Zach stared at him in disbelief.

“That entire confession, and that’s your take away?” Zach said. Cade stared back at Zach with pale blue eyes. Zach paled. “Oh my god. You don’t feel the same but you’re actually one of those old homophobic farts and now you’re going to kill me oh my-” Zach was cut off and for a moment he thought every one of his nightmares was coming true but with the embarrassment of the truth of his feelings. But he was confused when he realized chapped lips were moving against his own. Zach’s own lips began to move slowly working against Cade’s when he realized his feelings were reciprocated. Zach soon became aware that he needed to breathe soon, and had to break the kiss when he realized that Cade did not share the same need.

“Wow.” Zach said, star-struck. “Wait.” He put his hands on Cade’s chest, pushing the vampire far enough away from him so that he could look him in the eye. “With all those vampire superpowers, you still weren’t able to tell I liked you?” 

“Zach I thought it would be best for you let me know when you were ready.” Cade kissed him again, and Zach felt their teeth clash. Zach’s tongue ran over Cade’s fang and he pulled away with a gasp. “Also, I didn’t want to scare you.” 

Zach stared at Cade. “Ah.” Cade leaned down again to kiss Zach, and Zach moved his hands away from Cade chest. They wound up in his hair instead, running through the black knots. With unbelievable speed, Cade had Zach’s wrists in his grip and pinned against the headboard. Zach pulled away for a second. “Kinky.” He laughed. Cade growled, low and deep in his throat, and pushed his lips hard against Zach’s. Zach hummed against Cade’s lips, and Cade understood, his pace turning slow and gentle as he opened his mouth. The kiss deepened, and Zach felt his hips jerk upwards against Cade’s. Cade responded with movement of his own and a moan sounded from Zach’s mouth. Zach cursed the fact that he was human and therefore needed to breath as he pulled away. Cade looked down at him and placed a tender, chaste kiss to his lips before getting off of Zach. As he moved away, he spoke.

“I’ll see you in the Reliquary on Tuesday, Zach. You’ll need your rest.” Zach reached across his bed, as fast as he could in his condition, and grabbed Cade’s wrist. 

“Cade, no.” Zach said, and Cade turned to face him. “Stay with me?” Zach’s brown eyes were barely visible in the darkness, but Cade could see the glassy tint to them. Cade nodded, and Zach moved over to the right side of his bed. Cade slipped in with grace, pulling the covers over both of them. Zach slept close to Cade, his head on his chest. “Goodnight, Cade.” Zach said, sleepily. Zach slept soon after that.

“Good night, Zach.” Cade’s voice was soft as he laid an arm over Zach sleeping body, and ran a hand through Zach’s hair.


End file.
